Drifter Like Me reviewed in Bluegrass Unlimited
“[Her] clear, expressive voice...can go gritty at times or break appropriately or soar to ethereal heights or drift off in a whisper....11 beautifully written and rendered songs.” -Bluegrass Unlimited, October 2005

October, 2005: Becky Schlegel showcased at the 16th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. Over 90 applicants submitted two songs for consideration in the showcase and Becky was chosen for her exceptional songwriting talent. Other performers were Mark Simos (has been recorded by Alison Krauss and Laurie Lewis) and Connie Leigh (recorded by Larry Sparks and on Rhonda Vincent's new record).

Along with Brian Fesler, Becky performed to a full house of bluegrass songwriters and listeners from around the world, singing “Drifter Like Me” and “No Angel” from her newest CD, Drifter Like Me.

Brian said, “We were brought on to perform by Laurie Lewis. After we were done, Tom T. Hall walked up to Becky and said 'Could you send me that Angel song? I'd like to listen to that while I ride around in my truck.' ”

Becky Schlegel finds her own voice, falls into her own niche
Interview by Katryn Conlin for Inside Bluegrass, May 2005 (read full text)

Review: Drifter Like Me Many, many thanks for sending me a copy of your latest release, which I think is one of the most original, eye-opening and mesmerizing albums I've heard in a long time. You're a brilliant and thoughtful lyricist; a wonderful singer charged with emotion and soul; and a skillful and creative arranger. "Drifter Like Me" is a thrilling album of shifting moods, emotional highs and lows and a completely original and compelling sound. I especially enjoyed the title track, "These Hard Times," "Let It Ride," "Drive On" and "Cheyenne." I can't believe I've gotten this far in my radio "career" without stumbling upon any of your prior works. Henceforth, I'll be doing my best to get the word out in Nashville and in our other syndicated locations. Dave Higgs, Bluegrass Breakdown, Clarksburg, WV

Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune: Another reputable Twin Cities artist who took a while to make a follow-up album, bluegrass/folk singer Becky Schlegel had some folks nervously wondering where she was headed when she started working with blues and jazz vets on her new CD. The album, "Drifter Like Me," was co-produced by Jonny Lang cohorts Dik Shopteau and Kevin Bowe, and it features Gordon Johnson on bass. To add to the confusion, her release party Wednesday is at the Dakota. Yeah, the jazz club. Rest assured, the disc — which hits stores this week — is still as rootsy and plucky as Schlegel's 2002 release, "Red Leaf," though not quite as twangy as the releases by her old band, True Blue.
Schlegel's sidekick, banjo- and guitar-player Brian Fesler, works his magic throughout the CD. And Becky herself more than ever sounds like the Alison Krauss of the plains, with a voice pretty enough to make grown men cry. But she never sounds so precious that she can't pull off rough-hewn songs like the troubadouristic title track or "So Embarrassing," in which the former South Dakota farm girl, age 32, tackles infidelity like a poker player bluffing her way to a jackpot. Deal me in.